Secrets
by Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl
Summary: A one-shot about life in Asgard after The Avengers. My way of setting the scene for Thor: The Dark World. Contains things I would like to see in the film.


**Secrets**

_Disclaimer: Thor belongs to Marvel_

It had been weeks since Thor and Loki returned to Asgard with the Tesseract. Loki had been imprisoned indefinitely for his actions on Midgard. After the gossip and scandal surrounding Loki's trial had died down, life in Asgard resumed as well as it could. Odin and Frigga ruled the realm, as they had for many thousands of years. They inwardly grieved for the fate of their adopted son, but this was never publicly revealed, for the king and queen knew they had to appear strong in their resolve before their subjects. Odin often thought back on the past, and reflected that perhaps if he had been honest with Loki, as Frigga had wished, events might have transpired differently. Frigga was aware of her husband's feelings, and agreed with them, but she knew the past could not be undone. But, unknown to all save Odin, Frigga and Heimdall, who saw all, there was still a secret being kept in the royal family, concerning Odin's son, Thor. Frigga often pled with Odin to reveal the truth to him, as she did not wish to lose another member of her family as she had lost Loki, but Odin maintained that it was best if Thor did not know the truth, as he feared that Thor would be forever lost to them if this secret ever came to light. So nothing was said.

Thor, the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had ridden out that day, hunting bilgesnipe, as rumour had reached Asgard that a herd of the creatures was drawing close to the city, and threatening the few small homesteads outside the city walls. As was usually the case since his return, Thor appeared to be lost in thought. His friends believed that his melancholic moods of late were because of Loki's actions on Midgard, and his inability to sway his brother from his poisonous ideas. This was partly true, as Thor did not wish to believe that his brother-adopted or not- was lost forever. The main reason for his brooding, though, was something else. Ever since he had left Midgard, he had felt an inexplicable longing to return there. It was not just because he missed his comrades, the Avengers, nor was it only because he wished to renew contact with Jane Foster. In fact, he could not have put into words why he wished to return, as all he really knew was that he felt an incredible urge, almost akin to homesickness, that called him back to Earth. Travel to Earth was impossible though, as the Bifrost had yet to be repaired. He felt he could not approach his parents with this problem, as they had been through enough recently, with Loki's betrayal, and he did not wish to add to their burdens with his problems. So he told no-one.

Lady Sif watched Thor with concern as they rode out on their hunt. He was not truly focussing on his surroundings, and she feared he might become injured, if they were attacked while he was in this state of mind. She had often noticed his attention wandering of late. He always seemed to be thinking of something else, even when in the presence of the Allfather. Sif presumed he thought of the mortal girl he had met, months ago, on Midgard. She stifled a sigh. In her opinion, Jane Foster was not a suitable match for Thor, and she privately wished Thor would forget her. Surely he knew that the mortal would die, and he would be alone forever following that event, if he chose to wed her? Sif and Thor had known each other since infancy, they had grown up together, and she knew that Thor considered her one of his closest friends. No-one knew that Sif's feelings for Thor ran deeper than that, though many had speculated on the idea. She kept her secrets to herself, and would not speak to any of her feelings for Thor, as she hoped that in time, he would realize on his own. She had waited for years. She would wait for as long as she had to, even though it was painful. She would endure.

In the dungeons beneath Asgard, cold, poorly lit rooms that had been carved from caves thousands of years ago, Loki Laufeyson paced in his cell. He had had no visitors save Thor, once. He had simply stood in silence and stared at Thor, refusing to justify his actions, and in the end, the Thunderer left, clearly frustrated. He concealed a smirk at that memory. Thor was so easy to aggravate. since then, his only company had been the guards, who never spoke to him, but simply gave him bread and water twice a day, and ignored him the rest of the time. Secretly, Loki was glad to be in prison. At least this way, he mused, hopefully Thanos would not be able to locate him, and he would be safe, as the prison was protected by the Allfather's magic, and no-one without Odin's explicit permission could enter-or leave.

Suddenly, he felt something- magic, ancient, powerful, far stronger than anything he had ever encountered, perhaps even stronger than Odin. He had no idea what it could be, but he knew Asgard would be in danger, if it was targetted by this force. His eyes glittered. He would keep this new discovery to himself. And perhaps, if his 'father' and 'brother' fell in this battle, he could reclaim the throne of Asgard for himself. An evil smile spread across Loki's features. He would attempt to communicate with this ancient being, but he would let no-one be aware of it. Some secrets were worth keeping.

**The End**


End file.
